Drawing in charcoal and crayon for the use of students and schools

by Frank Fowler

Remember that no ruling, measuring or mechanical aids of any kind are to be made use of, the object being to train eye and hand.

CURVED LINES.

Curved lines are of course more difficult than straight for those who are entirely untrained. Begin to draw these by making the two dots at first as for the straight line; connect these dots with a very light line, and then through the center draw another line at right angles, dividing the first exactly in two. This line, projecting from one side only, must be exactly the same length as half the first line thus

Now connect the extremity of these lines with a curved line extending from one end to the middle and thence to the other end. When practice has enabled the student to draw these curves correctly, the straight lines are omitted and the curves drawn only from point to point.

Let this simple exercise be repeated by drawing the curves in every direction. When the pupil is able to draw both straight and curved lines thus with ease he has already gained an important step.

After this, simple forms should be drawn in outline, using such copies as 120 studies in freehand, called “How to Draw,” by Chas. Ryan, costing 25 cents, published by Cassell & Company.

A box of blocks should next be procured, which are sold by art dealers for the purpose, and the student should begin with the simplest forms and draw them from nature, in outline at first, progressing gradually to more complicated forms.

The next step is shading, which is done at first in the simplest manner. The outline sketched in, the proportions are ascertained to be correct and the shadow and light are divided into two great masses without detail and blocked in as broadly as possible, according to the method given in the following pages.

Learn to begin a drawing properly and the finishing will be easy enough, being merely a matter of practice when once the manner of working is understood. How often we see exposed for sale and on exhibition drawings and paintings elaborately finished of which the drawing is so faulty as to render them worthless.